Beyond the Basics

In recent years, biofabrication has involved engineering single-celled organisms like yeast and bacteria to produce proteins for new materials like animal-free silk or leather-like materials.

Ecovative uses mycelium, a multicellular organism. Biology is not only part of our production process, but also the key to our materials’ assembly, enabling structural complexity so far only found in nature.

Using Mycelium to Design Materials

One cell at a time, hyphae, the microscopic branches of mycelium, self assemble into complex, high performance 3D structures that are both tuneable and programmable.

By controlling the nutrients, environment, and the DNA of our organism, we are able to turn mycelium into programmable matter.

Our technology enables a highly controlled process of mycelium growth for specific outcomes, resulting in more freedom and control over geometry, density, size, and composition of mycelia.

How It Works

Are mushrooms really capable of building the materials of the future?

Like many natural materials including wood, leather, and natural fibers, Mushroom® Materials are durable and will last. Preferable to traditional styrofoam and other plastics, mycelium-based products are fully biodegradable and compostable. Our Mushroom® Materials do not degrade without exposure to living organisms, such as that found in soil biota, and moisture.